On NC coast, concern about Trump's offshore drilling order

Friday

KURE BEACH -- The Trump administration took the first steps Friday toward opening large portions of the Atlantic Ocean up to offshore drilling and seismic testing, although there is likely to be a lengthy review process before any energy production becomes reality.

Friday morning, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that directs the U.S. Department of the Interior to prioritize energy exploration and production, including streamlining permitting for seismic testing. Trump's executive order also called for agency to review the 2017-2022 offshore oil plan, which omitted the Atlantic and wide swaths of the Atlantic from permitted drilling areas.

In North Carolina, the order was met with praise by industry officials and apprehension by environmentalists and local officials who have long opposed drilling and seismic testing. Much of the previous opposition was lined with how drilling could impact the fishing and tourism industries widely viewed as bedrocks of the coastal economy.

Todd Miller, executive director of the N.C. Coastal Federation, said any impact is likely at least a decade away following the review of the five-year plan, exploratory process and then leasing. Still, Miller said, the eventual impacts could be major.

"You're bringing a heavy industry into an area that in the past has had more of a natural resource-based economy, so it's really mixing oil with water," he said.

Sierra Weaver, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, said coastal residents and officials made up much of the opposition to Atlantic drilling during the previous review process and likely will again, in large measure because of their reliance on tourism.

"People don't want to visit beaches with oil on them and people don't want to visit towns with oil refineries in them," Weaver said. "People want to visit the same small coastal towns they've been vacationing in for decades."

Kure Beach was one of 32 North Carolina counties and municipalities -- including Wilmington -- that passed resolutions opposing offshore drilling, seismic testing or both. Mayor Emilie Swearingen said she would speak up during the upcoming process, as well.

"If there's an opportunity to weigh in on it," she said, "I will certainly do it. Under this administration, I don't see our new president really listening to the people that will be impacted by this."

Howard Braxton, the mayor of Topsail Beach, said his town would likely stand by its opposition to seismic testing, citing lingering questions about the loud noise's impact on dolphins and right whales.

"Right now," he said, "we're saying no until we know more about it."

On the other side of the issue, industry representatives such as David McGowan, the executive director of the N.C. Petroleum Council, praised Trump's executive order.

"Developing our abundant offshore energy resources in the Atlantic is a critical part of a robust, forward-looking energy policy that will secure our nation's energy future and help meet the energy needs of the consumers and businesses of North Carolina," McGowan wrote in an email.

In a 2013 report, N.C. State University economist Michael Walden estimated bringing drilling to the state would result in 1,100 jobs and $181 million of annual economic activity during the seven-year build-up period. Once the infrastructure is in place, Walden wrote, off-shore production could result in 17,000 jobs and generate $1.9 billion annually.

The research, Walden wrote, is very sensitive to shifts in the market and to the amount of oil that is truly available. He also noted that oil spills could result in about $83 million in annual damage -- primarily to coastal communities.

In a statement late Friday, N.C. Governor Roy Cooper said any action to open the coast up to drilling would need to come with steps to mitigate potential damage to the state's coast, wetlands and economy.

"Without this mitigation and a share in the financial benefits," Cooper wrote, "our state will not be assured of either an economic win or a safe environment."

Reporter Adam Wagner can be reached at 910-343-2389 or Adam.Wagner@GateHouseMedia.com.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.